Process for producing steam and smoke clouds in a toy



E. SEUTHE Sept. 19, 1967 PROCESS FOR PRODUCING STEAM AND SMOKE CLOUDS IN A TOY Filed Sept. 12, 1963 INVENTOR EBERHARD SEUTHE ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,342,745 Patented Sept. 19, 1967 3,342,746 PROCESS FOR PRODUCING STEAM AND SMOKE CLOUDS IN A TOY Eberhard Seuthe, Roemerstrasse 60, Uhingen, Germany Filed Sept. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 308,392 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 20, 1962, S 81,570 3 Claims. (Cl. 252305) The present application is a continuation-in-part application of my application Ser. No. 852,608 which was copending at the time of filing and which has now been abandoned.

The present invention relates to means and a process for the production of smoke and steam clouds, in particular in a toy locomotive.

The production of such smoke and steam clouds in accordance with this invention is eifected by vaporizing certain mixtures of organic and inorganic fluids.

It is already known in the art to produce smoke screens for covering large areas by vaporizing organic materials, as for example hydrocarbons or greases. The smoke production in the aforementioned process is continuous. It is, however, desirable to produce smoke intermittently in toy locomotives. This smoke should exit from the toy with a puffing and hissing noise so as to simulate the operation of a real life-size steam locomotive as closely as possible.

It is therefore an object of this invention to produce intermittently steam and or smoke clouds in toy locomotives.

' It is another object of this invention to provide inexpensive means for intermittent production of steam and or smoke clouds in toy locomotives.

Heretofore, smoke was intermittently produced in toy locomotives by actually burning some smoke producing material. This material generally was packaged in a container which consisted of cellulose non-ignitable material. Such a unit would after ignition of the smoke producing material produce smoke intermittently. However, this type of smoke-producing process has a drawback in that the carbonization of the container unit is accompanied with unpleasant smells.

It is also known in the art to produce smoke intermittently by heating a mixture of paraflin oil with up to 50% of a volatile oil which has a low boiling point. This mixture is normally heated in a capillary tube and intermittently exits therefrom in the form of smoke and or steam clouds. However, this process also has a drawback. The volatile oils when heated easily decompose. Such decomposition of the volatile oil produces solid residues that tend to clog the capillary tube and thereby cause the device to malfunction. Furthermore, the volatile oils produce very intense odors at high temperatures, which due to the decomposition of the volatile oils can actually become unbearable. Therefore, the admixture of higher percentages of volatile oils is actually unsafe.

It is therefore another general object of this invention to overcome all of the aforedescribed disadvantages.

It has been noted that the admixture of volatile oils to smoke producing paraflin oils is actually not controlling for the desired puff-like intermittent production of smoke clouds. What surprisingly is required, is the presence of two substances in the mixture that have distinctly different boiling points. In view thereof, this invention discloses a mixture of fluids or of at least one fluid and one or more solids dissolved therein. These solids also vaporize at about the same vaporization temperature as the fluids. As stated above, it is essential that at least two of the components of the mixture have distinct boiling points and or vaporization temperatures. Such a mixture when present in a heated capillary tube of a toy locomotive advantageously produces intermittently clouds of smoke and steam with the desired side effects of a pufling and hissing noise. Such a mixture is therefore particularly well adapted for electrical toy locomotives because it simulates quite closely the actual real life noises of a steam locomotive.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its method of operation and its construction, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of a device for producing steam and or smoke clouds in accordance with the process and means forming part of this invention.

The desired side effect of accompanying puffing and hissing noises in the process of intermittently producing steam and or smoke clouds can be attributed to the following: The mixture 2 in storage tank 1 rises in the capillary tube 3 wherein it is heated by means of the spiral electrical heating wire 4. The component fluid of the mixture that has the low boiling point begins to vaporize and ascend through the capillary tube 3 in the form of very small vapor bubbles 6. The other component fluid of the mixture remains for the time being in the fluid state. The ascending vapor bubbles 6 coalesce and combine and then entrain in an axial direction small droplets of the fluid that has the higher boiling point. The latter fluid while ascending through the tube 3 also vaporizes into small vapor bubbles 5 so that in the upper portion of the tube 3 there are formed alternately vapor bubbles of the fluids having respectively the high and low boiling points. These vapor bubbles eventually exit alternately from the tube 3.

The funnel of a toy-locomotive is usually so formed that a small device, such as the storage tank 1, used by applicant in the production of steam and or smoke, can be accommodated therein. The aforementioned device includes electrical heating means 4 that may be put in shunt with the adjustable electric motor of the toy-locomotive.

A fluid can be advantageously selected whose vapor is not visible, whereas the other fluid of the mixture may form vapor clouds that are pronouncedly visible. In this manner a simulated intermittent production of smoke clouds is achieved.

From the above description it will be understood that the controlling factor in the smoke production process resides in the difference of boiling points of the components of the mixture. It is therefore possible to select a mixture of fluids and or solids dissolved in the fluids to obtain any one of a number of special eflects. For instance, component fluids that are good smoke producers can be added to the mixture.

If special color effects or odors are desired, fluids whose vapors have the aforementioned properties can also be added selectively to the mixture.

It has been foundthat the best results are obtained with a mixture having fluids whose boiling point temperatures are at least 20 C. to 30 C. apart. In particular, a mixture of which all or at least a part of the ingredients are organic substances, such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, etc. has been found to give excellent results.

Furthermore, it has been found that the manner of-the vaporization process varies greatly and depends on the composition of the fluid which is being vaporized. For instance, when a pure hydrocarbon is being vaporized the steam is produced continuously.

Whereas hydrocarbons having boiling point temperatures under C. produce a hardly visible bluish steam, hydrocarbons which have higher boiling points produce a whiter more visible steam.

It has been found that a mixture of hydrocarbons having components which respectively have boiling points in the range of about 150 C. to 230 C. and 250 C. to

3 450 C. gives the desired pufling noise during vaporization. Such a mixture may comprise 50% to 95% fluid hydrocarbons having the lower aforementioned boiling point range and 5% to 50% fluid hydrocarbons having the higher aforementioned boiling point range.

In order to obtain a certain desired scent during vaporization of the fluids, a volatile scent-producing oil can be added to the mixture. This admixture should for practical purposes not exceed a concentration of 0.1% to 10%. When more than 10% of the whole mixture consists of a volatile oil the latter produces the aforementioned undesirable efiects of clogging and unbearable strong odors.

The mixtures forming part of this invention are generally sold in ampules. From a commercial point of view it is often desirable to identify the mixtures by means of colors that correspond to the odors produced during vaporization. Thus, for instance, a mixture producing citrus scented vapors would be colored yellow, lavender scented vapors would be colored purple, etc. To this end nontoxic colors can be added to the mixtures at about 0.10% concentration.

Examples of the aforedescribed mixtures are hereinafter given for the purpose of illustration but not for the purpose of limiting the claims set forth below to these examples only.

Example 1 A steam producing mixture having a concentration 5 of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 150 C.250 C. and 50% of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 300 C.450" C.

Example 2 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 95% of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 150 C.250 C. and of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 270 C.400 C.

Example 3 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 78% of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 180 C.205 C. and of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 220 C.320 C. and 10% of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 340 C.370 C. and 2% of a volatile oil.

Example 4 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 70% of n-nonane having a boiling point of 151 C. and 30% of n-heptadecane having a boiling point of 303 C.

Example 5 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 30% n-decane having a boiling point of 173 C., 50% of i-tridecane having a boiling point of 225 C. and 19% n-nonadecane having a boiling point of 330 C. and 1% lemon oil.

Example 6 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 20% i-decane having a boiling point of 165 C. and 60% i-dodecane having a boiling point of 210 C. and 20% of i-pentacosane with a melting point of 52 C.

Example 7 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 70% of nonene having a boiling point of 150 C. and 30% of octadecene having a boiling point higher than 300 C.

Example 8 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 50% cyclooctane having a boiling point of 150 C. and 30% n-propylcyclohexane having a boiling point of 155 C. and 20% cyclooctanone having a melting point of 40 C.

Example 9 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 40% nonene having a boiling point of 150 C. and 40% cyclooctane having a boiling point of 150 C. and 20% octadecane having a boiling point of 330 C.

Example 10 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 20% dichlorobenzol having a boiling point of 180 C. 50% of tetralin having a boiling point of 205 C. and 30% of a hydrocarbon mixture having a boiling point range of 250 C.350 C.

Example 11 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of isoamylbutyrate having a boiling point of 178 C. and 30% caproic-acid-octyl-ester having a boiling point of 275 C.

Example 12 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 70% glycoldiacetate having a boiling point in the range of 186 C.l90 C. and 20% of dibutyloxalate having a boiling point in the range of 240 C.250 C. and tripalmitin having a melting point of 43 C.

Example 13 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 40% n-dibutylketone having a boiling point of 187 C. and 20% n-diamylketone having a boiling point of 227 C. and 40% n-dihexylketone having a boiling point of 264 C.

Example 14 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of 60% n-hexylether having a boiling point of 226 C. and 40% isoamylglycerylether having a boiling point of 252 C.

Example 15 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of of a benzine distillate of crude petroleum (hydrocarbons having carbon chains in the range from C to C having a boiling point in the range of 70 C.- 200" C. and 10% of petroleum fraction of crude petroleum (hydrocarbons having carbon chains in the range from C to C having a boiling point in the range of 220 C.270 C. and 10% of a gas oil (Diesel fuel) fraction (hydrocarbons having carbon chains in the range of C to C having a boiling point higher than 300 C.

Example 16 A steam producing mixture having a concentration of n-diamylketone having a boiling point of 227 C. and 10% water having a boiling point of 100 C.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in which manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A process for producing smoke in a toy, comprising the step of heating a mixture of at least first and second vaporizable hydrocarbon liquids in a capillary tube, the boiling point of said second hydrocarbon liquid being at least 20 Celsius higher than that of said first hydrocarbon liquid, said first liquid having a concentration of 50% to and said second liquid having a concentration of 5% to 50%.

2. A process for producing scented smoke in a toy, comprising the step of electrically heating a mixture of at least first and second vaporizable liquid hydrocarbons and lemon oil in a capillary tube, the boiling point of said second hydrocarbon liquid being at least 20 C. higher than that of said first hydrocarbon liquid, said first and second liquid hydrocarbons having respectively constgegtrations in the range of 50% to 95% and 5% t0 0.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,324,359 7/1943 Callan 46-9 5 2,396,710 3/1946 Levey et al. 252-305 2,461,664 2/1949 Smith 46113 LEON D. ROSDOL, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS GREENWALD, SAMUEL H. BLECH, m Examiners.

R. D, LOVERING, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SMOKE IN A TOY, COMPRISING THE STEP OF HEATING A MIXTURE OF AT LEAST FIRST AND SECOND VAPORIZABLE HYDROCARBON LIQUIDS IN A CAPILLARY TUBE, THE BOILING POINT OF SAID SECOND HYDROCARBON LIQUID BEING AT LEAST 20* CELSIUS HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST HYDROCARBON LIQUID, SAID FIRST LIQUID HAVING A CONCENTRATION OF 50% TO 95% AND SAID SECOND LIQUID HAVING A CONCENTRATION OF 5% TO 50%. 